My Angel
by Fran-XII
Summary: When the Esper Ultima displays an interest in Balthier, the party are astounded. Balthier finds himself falling in love with the rebel angel, as the party had feared. Two shot, will be developed further. Balthier/Fran, Balthier/Ultima


Balthier groaned. At the edge of his conciousness, something stirred, pulling him out of his torpor. His periphery vision was haunted by phantoms and streaks of phosphorescence. Hands on his face, hands so soft and feather-light, but so cold, so very cold...

He struggled up, dizzy. The Esper, Ultima, was at his side, talking to him in a soothing voice, her words pouring over each other, nonsensical, and beautiful. Fran and Penelo watched him, Penelo's eyes wide, Fran's face tired, eyes dull from the effort of keeping Ultima tangible. Vaan sat silent and watchful, Ashe and Basche observed with a cold neutrality, alarmingly alike to that assumed by Fran. The Esper sat by him, her hands on his face, whispering to him. Balthier gazed at her, stunned. She began to fade.

"Wait!"he cried, before he could stop himself, sitting up. The beautiful spectre merely shook her head, and before disappearing, planted a perfect kiss on his lips. Before he knew it, she was gone. The party were silent.

"I've never seen an Esper behave like that. What did she say to you?"asked Ashe curiously. Balthier noted that everyone but Fran was careful to keep back from him.

"I-I don't know. I couldn't understand her."he replied, for once, almost lost for words. Fran helped him to his feet.

"Shall we continue princess?"asked Basche, avoiding Balthier's eyes. Ashe nodded, and they forged ahead, Basche hacking a path through the undergrowth with his greatsword, Ashe at his side. Vaan had caught a butterfly for Penelo, and they were playing with it. Balthier and Fran remained at the back.

"Balthier, she is not yours to take. She is a goddess, a spiritual being. Remember that."Fran cautioned. Balthier nodded. The way her hands felt on his face, her eyes, so full of sadness and love. Deep within himself, something stirred, and he began to want for her.

It had begun.

From that moment in the Feywood, that confusion-embroiled moment, Balthier had pined for Ultima, longed to see her again. Balthier often suggested they hunt marks above their rank, as he knew Fran would probably summon Ultima if they were in trouble.

His chance came sooner than he expected.

The party were in the Salikawood, hunting the Braegh, an easy enough mark to defeat, when they decided to stop and rest. They had plenty of time; it wasn't like the mark was going anywhere.

They lit a fire, and as night fell on the forest, the music of the wood gaining strength and volume. Ashe and Penelo were cooking something that smelt delicious in a pot over the fire, Basche and Vaan were on watch. Fran was up a tree. Balthier sat and gazed into the fire, and found his thoughts drifting back to the Esper. The flames danced and crackled, sparks flying. The Viera had clambered down from the tree bearing a basket of peaches, and was preparing them not far off. Vaan was stuffing apples with sugar to be baked, watch duties forgotten, and Basche was sampling Ashe and Penelo's cooking. No one was paying any attention to him. He could slip away with Fran, ask her to show him the Esper once more...

A rumble pulled him out of his reverie. Vaan unsheathed his sword and stood at the ready to attack, Basche beside him, careful to shield the princes with his body. Penelo readied an arrow.

There was a pregnant pause. The three warriors remained ready to battle, Ashe was at the side with sundries, and Fran was listening intently, ready to conjure. Balthier remained sitting. The rumble sounded again, and the noise of the jungle died as heavy feet pounded into the ground. An enormous wyrm appeared, flattening the trees, scales ophidian, iridescent, shining acidly against the crushed verdure. Vaan charged forward, and scored an angry red gash across the beast's nose, whilst Basche threw himself at it, slashing wildly. Penelo fired volleys of arrows. Ashe's bangle allowed her to gauge the wyrm's defence and weaknesses more accurately. She was stunned.

"It's an undead, and it's far too powerful for us! Retreat!"she yelled, her pleas falling on deaf ears. Fran readied Holy.

"Fran, send in Ultima!"cried Vaan, as he pulled an unconscious Penelo out of the monster's reach.

Dirty, blood soaked and exhausted, Basche stepped back, ready to assist Ashe with the sundries.

Fran stepped in, and began to summon the Esper.

Within seconds, the beautiful creature was there again, her delicate evanescence so profoundly beautiful it tugged at Balthier's heart. She murmured her usual torrent of nonsense before laying into wyrm with a well aimed Holy, and following it up with redemption. Balthier watched as the Esper pummelled the beast wit volley afteer volley of attack, finishing with Eschaton, obliterating the beast. The monster disappeared, and the Esper beckoned Balthier. Fran staggered back, face pale. To his surprise, the Esper climbed down from her golden cannon. Her silvery skin glimmered. Balthier had assumed that the Esper had been attached to the cannon, but it was not so, for she strode towards him. She took his hands in hers and spoke to him. To Balthier's ears, it meant nothing, but Fran's could detect the slightest change in anyone's voice, no matter how slight. She picked up on the upward inflexion.

"She's asking you a question."the Viera stated, staggering as the esper slowly drained her power. Vaan bolted to her side, to catch her. He struggled under the weight of the Viera.

"Balthier, hurry up, I can't hold her for much linger, she's too heavy!"he cried, gritting his teeth. He was never sure if it was an accident or not when Fran's claws somehow found themselves embedded in his back.

Balthier shook his head, trying to indicate he didn't understand. The Esper's face was solemn. She let go of his hands, and stepped back onto her golden podium, before disappearing. Balthier gazed at the spot where she had been, seeing, but not truly seeing.

"Balthier; help Fran."commanded Basche, his tone indicating his anger. How could Balthier obsess over a ghost of an angel? He was putting everyone in danger. He'd have to end it.

Balthier lifted Fran easily, whilst Vaan stared at him in wonderment. He carried the Viera to her camp bed and placed her down. He combed her platinum hair out of her eyes, and held her hand. It was soft, and warm, but bony, her claws digging into his flesh, unlike the Esper's hands had been, cold, almost metallic...

"I'm falling in love with you."he murmured, hoping that perhaps, somewhere, deep in Fran's mind, where the bond between Esper and summoner was strongest, that the rebel angel might hear him.

There no answer, but for the feeling of a cold hand upon his cheek.


End file.
